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MIL() R. SNODGRASS, 0F JAMESTOWN, OHIO.

' Letters Patent lVo. 72,556, dated lecember 24,' 1867. i i

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTEF. AND GULTIVA'IOR.

"digedph1t-lete1'ettttttiu tlgesc fitrttas glntent mit mating pattini tigt same.

TO ALL WI-IOM I'I MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, MILD R. SNODGRASS, et' Jamestown, in the county of Greene, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and improved Seed-Planter and Cultivator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, foriningpart of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved seed-planter and cultivator combined; and it consists in a peculiar construction and arrangement of the several parts, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the machine may be made to work in either ofthe above-named capacities, in a perfect manner. In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figure l is a plan or top view of my invention complete, or with all the parts attached.

Figure 2, a plan or top View of the same, with the ploughs removed.

Figure 3, a rear view of the same, partly insection.

Figure 4, an inverted plan of the seed-boxes, and bottom plate connected therewith.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a rectangular horizontal frame, which is mounted on the wheels B B, and provided with the usual draught-pole, C. D I) represent two seed-boxes, which are secured, one to each side of the rear part of the frame A, and have a bottom plate, E, attached, said plate extending entirely across the machine, or from seed-box to seed-box, as shown clearly in Hg. 3. lThis plate E has two holes, t (l, made through it, underneath' each hopper, and on this plate `there is {itt-ed a slide, F, which has a reciprocating motion given it through the medium of a hand-lever, G, the ends of the slide F extending through the seed-boxes, and having two holes, b b, made through it, nearcach end (sec` gs. 2 and 3.) 'Ihe upper surface of thc slide, a certain distance from each end, is grooved longitudinally, as shown at c. -Thcse grooves are designed to catch dirt, chaff, &e., forming chambers ferthc saule, and preventing it'from interfering with' the proper distribution of the seed.' In the lower part of each seed-box, over the slide F, there/'is fitted a. slotted plate, H, having a cl1amber, d, at cach end, in which cut-oft` brushes e are placed, (sec iig. By this arrangement the seed is cut o", or the holes b b covered, and eii'cetually separated from the seed in the seed-boxes, when either hole comes in line with a hole, a, in plate E. To the under side of plate E, directly underneath each seed-box, there is scoured a dischargespout, I. In each of these spouts there is fitted a valve, J. These valves are hung on axes or pivots,f, and to one end of each axis a lever, K, yis. attached, the upper ends of which pass up through oblong slots, g, in plate E, and are connected to the slide F. By means of this connection the valves J are moved by the slide F, and said valves are designed to be closed and retain the seed in' the spouts I, as it'is discharged from the seed-boxes, the valves opening and discharging the seed from the bottom of the spouts ntbthe ground where there is no discharge from the seed-boxes into the spouts.' By this arrangement the seed is discharged quite close to the ground, and without being scattered, and in the exactplacc desired, the lower end of the spouts I having covering-sleeves 7L attached, which `are shown in tig. 3. lhe furrows te receive the seed are made by shares, I1, at the lower ends of standards M, which are attached to beams N N, the front ends of the latter being secured tothe front crossbar of frainoA by hinges or joints i. Each beam, N N, near its rear end, .i

is connected by bars, O O, to cranhsjj, at the ends of a shaft, I), which has itsbearings in the upper ends of' uprights Q Q, on the main frame A, and has a lever, R, extending backward from it, within convenient reach of the driver on scat S. By actuating this' lever, the driver may raise the ploughs o-ut of thcground, when required, and by securingsaid lever in a position with its rear end elevated, the ploughs may bc rctaincdin the earth, the ploughs being held up above the ground when the outer ond of the lever is secured in a depressed position. The lever s-securcd in either of the two positions described, by having catches or projections, 7c 7:, uttachedto an upright, T, on the frame A.

In order to convert the machine'into a cultivator, I connect two plough-beams, M M', at their front ends,v

by a semicircular bnr, N', which is pivoted to the front cross-bar of frame A, as shown at Z. These beams are supported, near their rear ends, by a chain, m, from the shaft P, the central part of which is curved or bent, to operate as a crank, and admit of the plonghs N ot' said beams being raised and lowered through the medium of lever R, precisely like the sharcsL. The beams M/M are moved laterally by means of the pendent rods u u. which extend down from a treadle, U, pivot-ed centrally to a cross-bar, W, attached to the frame A. The

treadle is actuated by the feet of the driver,l thc rods u u down between the beams M M', as slrorvn in fig. 1. The axles V V, ofthe Wheels B B, are arranged in tlle frame A so as to be movable, and admit of being adjusted further into or out from the frame A, so that the 'wheels B B may be placed .at a greater yor less distance apart, as occasion may require.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The grooves c, in the upper surface of the slide F, in combination with the holes b in said slide, and the holes a in the plate E, all arranged'substantially as and for `the purpose set `forth.

2. The chambers d, on the plates H, to receive the cut-obrushes e, in combination with tlie holes b in slide F, and the holes a in plate E, for' the purpose specified.

3. The valves J, in the spouts I, when operated from the slide F, substantially inthe manner as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. The adjustable beams M', arranged so as to be Operated'through the medium of the crank-shaft l and lever R, when said parts are used in connection Witlrtho upright T, provided with catches or, projections lc lr,

all arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The vadjustable beams M M', applied to the frame A, and operated through the medium of the trcadle U and pendent rods u u, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose Aspeeed.

6.. The adjustable axles V V,`of the wheels B B, arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Y A MILO R. SNODG-RASS.

Witnesses:

PETER SHICKLEY, BENJ. F. Smelt-LEY. 

